Surfing in Huntington Beach

There's good reason why Huntington Beach reigns as the official Surf City USA. Our consistent year-round swell coupled with our vibrant deep-rooted surf culture makes our 10-mile coast a surfer's paradise. Each of our five distinct beaches beckons a different level of surfer, from the newbie experiencing the rush of a first paddle-out in calm glistening waters to the seasoned shredder soaking up the stoke by the pier. Experience our surf culture through surf lessons, surfing events, shop surfs, the International Surfing Museum, and more.

Surfing Events in Huntington Beach

The Vans US Open of Surfing is the world's largest surf competition and lifestyle festival. The event includes world-class surfing, skateboarding and BMX competitions, movie premieres, retail and art exhibitions, and product demos and samples from your favorite action sport industry brands, including title sponsor Vans. It is happening in August 1 - 9, 2020.

The VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship is the largest junior surfing competition in the world. This event features 361 surfers from a record-breaking 44 nations. The event happens on the south end of the pier and starts out with a parade on Main Street in downtown Huntington Beach. Watch future Olympianssurf the waters of Surf City USA. The date in 2021 is to be announced.

The annual Surf City Surf Dog event at Huntington Dog Beach features a multi-heat dog surfing competition, guaranteed to entertain and impress. Surf dog competitors will have twelve minutes to catch his or her top five waves and be judged by local celebrity and surf judges on confidence level, length of ride and overall ability to ride the wave. The event happens September 26, 2020.

Huntington Beach Live Surf Camera

International Surfing Museum

The International Surfing Museum is dedicated to preserving the past, participating in the present, and influencing the future of all aspects of surfing culture worldwide. It houses collections of surfing memorabilia and culture including some of surfing history's most significant artifacts such as Duke Kahanamoku's surfboard and the Guinness World Records breaking World's Largest Surfboard.

Immerse Yourself in Surf City USA Culture at the International Surfing Museum

Surfing Walk of Fame

Surf City’s version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame—on Main Street in downtown Huntington Beach. An induction committee made up of approximately 80 international surf industry notables submits its choice for each of six categories: Surf Culture, Local Hero, Surf Pioneer, Surf Champion, Woman of the Year and Honor Roll. The Surfing Walk of Fame induction ceremony is held annually in conjunction with the US Open of Surfing competition.

Surfers' Hall of Fame

The Surfers' Hall of Fame is located on the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Main Street in front of Huntington Surf & Sport. The handprints and footprints of those who have greatly impacted surfing culture are watched over by a statue of the great Duke Kahanamoku at this famous Huntington Beach location.

Surf City Women

Huntington Beach has long been a California beach city that encourages all to dream big and do more. The scene began over 100 years ago with the birth of local surf culture and exhibitions. Today Surf City USA has inspired professional women surfers, Courtney Conlogue and Meah Collins to pursue their careers in surfing.

Courtney Conlogue

Courtney Conlogue’s first visit to the iconic Huntington Beach Pier when she was six inspired her future professional career. “Everything looked so grand, “she says. “I was in awe. I couldn’t wait to be out there surfing with the guys.”

One of Surf City’s most successful pro surfers, Courtney has won the biggest surf contest in the world—the U.S. Open of Surfing—at her home break, the Huntington Beach pier, in 2009. She was all of 17.

Now, Courtney has won major World Surf League competitions and is the champion of the Vans U.S. Open and Roxy Pro. She ended the last season as the number one ranked American female surfer on the circuit. She has surfed in the X Games, Surf Ranch Pro, Target Maui Pro, Rip Curl Women's Pro, in addition to hundreds of other surf competitions.

“For me the ocean, whether I win or lose, I could go back out and always love it and love being in the water and just leave feeling better.”

When she’s not surfing, she enjoys taking in all the things to do in Huntington Beach. “I actually love the off-season in the winter because for me there is this beautiful stillness about it,” she says. “Just filtering through the streets you have Main Street, just the classic strip, and then you have the new Pacific City, which is really cool.”

See Courtney’s story and be inspired to Dream and Do in Huntington Beach.

Meah Collins

A Huntington Beach native and natural athlete throughout her early life, surfing is in her blood. Meah first stepped on a surfboard in a Huntington Beach competition at 10 and won.

As one of the youngest pro surfers, Meah is just beginning to make her mark on the surfing world, and she will only continue to excel based on her amazing start in the surfing scene. Now, the young surfing legend has received international recognition for her talent.

While surfing has been considered a male-dominated sport, women are now seeing more equality on the waves and Meah is out there with her board. “I try not be intimidated. But sometimes I get like a sense of empowerment, like I’m the only girl out here, like I’m gonna show all these guys who’s boss.”

In Surf City USA, we observe "the endless summer," a 365-day season revolving around the sun and sea, which bodes well for Meah. “HB has the most consistently good waves all year round and I have a lot of friends from Huntington that I like to surf with.”

When she is not in the water, she enjoys the diversity of Huntington Beach’s people and culinary scene. “The fact that you have so many cultures here and so many different types of people, so many different types of food, it’s almost like it’s just an explosion of -- of -- I want to say art.”

Next up for Meah is to live her dream of participating in the World Championship Tour and be a as well as qualifying for the 2020 Olympics.

See Meah’s story and be inspired to Dream and Do in Huntington Beach.

Surfing History in Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach has had quite a few memorable moments in the last 100+ years. Learn more about the history of surfing in Surf City USA from 1914 to today.

Surfline: A Surf City USA Original

One reason Huntington Beach is Surf City USA: it’s the hometown of Surfline. Founded in 1985 as a call-in surf and weather report service (a hit from the start, it received over 6,000 calls in its first month), the company evolved into the world’s premier surf forecasting service. Then-owner Sean Collins—a surfer, sailor, and self-taught surfing meteorologist—predicted marine conditions so accurately that lifeguards, the National Weather Service, and multiple domestic and international governmental agencies began using them. In 1995, during the internet’s infancy, the company went online, and a year later it used the Huntington Beach Pier to set up the first live surf camera. Surfline now has more than 200 surf cams worldwide (including 12 that cover Huntington Beach), providing surfers the ability to check the surf before heading to the beach. You can too at surfline.com